Summer wildlife

This picture was taken by Andrew Ashworth, a local moth and butterfly expert

If you don’t cut your grass too often, take a closer look at it this month. Chances are you will hear and see the greenish-brown Meadow Grasshopper; as the adults start their courtship songs this month. Unlike our other native species, these grasshoppers can’t fly, so they hop or glide around, making them much easier to spot. Unsurprisingly, this critter eats grass at an amazing speed! If you do spot one, pause for a few moments and watch it do a grand job of mowing your lawn.
A welcome consequence of record summer temperatures caused by climate change is that we are seeing more of the Hummingbird Hawkmoth (pictured). As its name suggests, it looks just like a tiny hummingbird - hovering in front of flowers and feeding on nectar with their long proboscis. They are day flying and often seen in gardens, darting from flower to flower, expertly hovering, beating their wings so rapidly you can hear them hum.
Finally, this month usually sees the start of Rosebay Willowherb coming into flower. This plant has many other common names, but one, Fireweed, is relevant to Hull, as it often sprung up on bomb-damaged sites.